Deforest City Blues: We should boost the golf cart industry

According to the latest reports, London’s unemployment numbers are going skyward. ‘11.2% And Rising’ said a headline in Saturday’s Free Press.

And I think more jobs will follow.

Though Mayor Anne Marie DeCicci-Best recently said “the city’s economy would be re-oriented towards knowledge-based and green jobs” and that “there is no point in re-establishing the same type of jobs when clearly that’s not where the future lies,” city council’s approval of a $55-million plan to rebuild the local economy says otherwise.

When the cornerstone of the rebuild or redo of the local economy is a plan to turn London’s airport into a cargo gateway (at a cost of $11,000,000) I don’t smell green jobs or long-term sustainable growth. Instead, I smell business as usual, same old - same old, and community leaders banking on continuous (even growing) consumption on the part of businesses and individuals.

Most consumers know that air freight is the most polluting form of transportation. Our high unemployment numbers are linked to a failure to stay current in the transportation industry in the past. Should our future be any different?

With high numbers of North Americans moving toward a permanent change in lifestyle (reduce spending, save more, pay off debt) as well as joining the dots between an excessive lifestyle and fossil fuel consumption and the production of pollution and carbon and climate change, our money could be better spent.


Let’s develop a small car industry. (I estimate that more than 62% of our drives each week could be done safely in a golf cart).

Let’s develop a bicycle industry. (I estimate that more than 20% of our sidewalks - on streets with sidewalks on both sides - could be given over to cyclists without disturbing many pedestrians).

Let’s pull the plug on as many machines as possible that are doing jobs people are capable of doing.

Let’s develop and build smaller homes.

Let’s design and produce smaller furniture and appliances for the above homes.

Yeah, I know. More pipe dreams.

But in the meantime, let’s continue to reduce spending, save money, reduce our debt, and continue to move toward a lifestyle most people and the planet can easily more afford and maintain.

“Live small and prosper,” I say.

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